Season 4, Episode 4
The fourth episode of the fourth season of MasterChef aired on May 29, 2013. This is the first episode that takes place in the MasterChef kitchen. Summary The top nineteen cooks enter the MasterChef kitchen for the first time. Gordon tells them that all they need to do to stay in the kitchen is to beat every other chef and win the title. In order to find out who the next MasterChef is and who just can't cut it, the contestants need to start cooking. Mystery Box The rules of the mystery box are simple: each cook must prepare, cook, and present one amazing dish using only the ingredients hidden underneath the box as well as a limited staple pantry box. The person with the best dish will have a huge advantage in the next round of the competition. The contents of the first mystery box are: one tomato, some bacon, a handful of chocolate, and one potato. Joe explains that the cooks need to prove that they can work with the basics before they can move on to bigger and better things. The first dish in the top 3 is Bime's: a poached egg over a potato hash with tomato basil salsa and a gremolata. Next up is Natasha and her lemon curd tart with chocolate bacon ganache and meringue. Finally, Krissi's bacon potato frittata with tomato basil salad is named. Only one can be named the winner, and Natasha is named the winner of the first mystery box challenge. Elimination Test As the first winner of a Mystery Box, Natasha is the first to go to the MasterChef pantry. For the elimination test, Natasha must choose the dish or style of dish that everyone must cook. What she can't control is the theme of the challenge, which is in the hands of the judges. For the mystery box, the judges gave the most basic of ingredients. However, a true MasterChef is able to work with the most refined ingredients. Joe offers a staple of European cuisine, and one of the finest seafood ingredients that money can buy: langoustine. Graham's protein is something that is always on the menu at the world's finest restaurants, a chef's dream, the first cut veal chop. Gordon has something unique, something that is only produced in 5 farms in the entire world, something that could be disastrous in an inexperienced cook's hands: Stilton blue cheese. For winning the mystery box challenge, Natasha is safe from elimination and does not have to cook any of the ingredients. With Krissi as her target, Natasha choose the langoustine, which she thinks that Krissi would be tripped up by. The third advantage Natasha has is choosing one other contestant to be safe with her. Natasha chooses Savannah, whom she sees as someone that she can take out later. Savannah did win the sweetest contestant award though. The first dish is Krissi, with a Langoustine Mac with Cheese. Natasha's attempt to trip Krissi up failed miserably, and the judges love her dish. Jordan establishes himself up top with his langoustine bisque, showing great finesse and flavor. Howard's dish is nothing less than a disappointment, an underwhelming spinach citrus salad topped with poached langoustine. Gordon refuses to eat it, and Joe throws it in the trash, calling it a waste of time. Luca's dish of langoustine and saffron fettuccine is also a disappoinment because of how overcooked the langoustine is. Lynn shines with his poached langoustine and lime beurre blanc. Kathy's dish of langoustine yellow rice is deemed boring by Joe. Sasha's plate of langoustine with cheese grits looks as if someone pooed on the plate. The combination of flavors is all wrong, and Joe declares that the langoustine's value has been reduced from $50 to 55 cents. Gordon's request for redemption is granted with Jessie's tempura langoustine. Unfortunately, Malcolm's stuffed langoustine and pasta come soon after, with an extremely undercooked langoustine. There are two dishes that stand above and beyond the competition. The first is Jordan's, which is beautifully cooked and capable of taking out anyone. However, the winning dish of the night is Jessie's, who took lots of risks that paid off greatly.Amazing!,says Jessie. However, there are three dishes that not only were disappointing, but nowhere near the MasterChef standards. One of these three home cooks will be sent home. The first dish was lazy, underwhelming, a complete waste of a luxury ingredient. Howard is the first called up. The second disastrous dish belongs to Malcolm. The third dish that was a total failure was all over the place. It used combinations of ingredients that should never go together, and flavors the judges hope never to taste again. Sasha is the last home cook in the bottom 3. Malcolm's dish is deemed the best of the worst and he is declared safe. While the judges were seriously unimpressed with the bottom two, they see a glimmer more of potential in one home cook than the other one. Their decision is that Sasha has reached the end of the road, and her time in MasterChef kitchen is done. Gallery Mystery Box MysteryBox4x1.png|The ingredients for the mystery box challenge Eddie 4x04.png|Eddie's Dish Howard 4x04.01.png|Howard's Dish Jordan 4x04.01.png|Jordan's Dish Jessie 4x04.01.png|Jessie's Dish Savannah 4x04.png|Savannah's Dish Bri 4x04.png|Bri's Dish Bethy 4x04.png|Bethy's Dish Beth 4x04.png|Beth's Dish James 4x04.png|James's Dish Luca 4x04.01.png|Luca's Dish Bime Top 3 4x04.png|Bime's Dish and the first of the top 3 Natasha Top 3 4x04.png|Natasha's Dish and the second of the top 3 Krissi Top 3 4x04.png|Krissi's Dish and the Final of the Top 3 Elimination Test Choice 1 4x04.png|The first choice for the elimination challenge: langoustine Choice 2 4x04.png|The second elimination test option: first-cut veal chops Choice 3 4x04.png|The final option for the elimination challenge: Stilton blue cheese Natasha's Choice 4x04.png|Natasha chose the langoustine for the elimination test Krissi 4x04.02.png|Krissi's dish Jordan 4x04.02.png|Jordan's dish, and the second best of the night Howard 4x04 Bottom.png|Howard's dish, which is in the Bottom 3 Luca 4x04.02.png|Luca's dish Lynn 4x04.png|Lynn's Dish Kathy 4x04.png|Kathy's Dish Sasha 4x04 Worst.png|Sasha's Dish, and one of the Bottom 3 Jessie 4x04.02.png|Jessie's Dish, and the top Langoustine of the night Malcolm 4x04 Worst.png|Malcolm's Dish, and one of the bottom 3 4x04 Bottom 3.png|Howard, Malcolm, and Sasha stand as the bottom 3 Sasha is Eliminated.png|Sasha's time in the MasterChef kitchen runs out Sasha Top 19.png|Sasha's time in the MasterChef kitchen comes to an end Notes * Category:Season 4 Category:Episodes